CSI: Christmas, Sara & Invitation
by GSRCSILVR25
Summary: Grissom makes Sara take time off at Christmas, but he has ulterior motives. Set mid Season 5.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Sara sat on the bench in front of her locker. She had opened her locker to find several Christmas cards that co-workers had slipped in through the slats of her locked door. She shuffled through the cards one by one. Nick, Warrick and Mandy had chosen typical Christmas cards with Santa and elves and decorated trees. But Greg, he chose one with Frosty the Snowman. Sara chuckled when she opened it and it played the Frosty the Snowman song. Leave it to Greg.

Sara glanced at the calendar on the inside of her locker door. December 21st. She had totally forgotten to get Christmas cards. At least she still had a few days to reciprocate. Sara stood up and pulled out her bag and put her cards inside. She was pulling on her vest when Catherine entered the locker room.

"Hey, Sara."

"Hey, Cath. You just getting off shift?"

"Yeah, I should keep working, but Lindsey has a Christmas pageant tonight and I cannot miss it. Thank God Nick said he would cover for me." She put her vest in her locker and pulled out her jacket and purse. She looked at Sara out of the corner of her eye. "You uh, doing anything special for the Holidays?"

Sara gave her a weak smile. "Probably working."

"Oh." Catherine smiled at her and pulled on her jacket. "I'm on call. Since Gil's not working, someone has to be around in case something big happens."

"Grissom's not going to be here?" Sara sounded shocked and disappointed.

"Yeah, he's taking time off to see his mother. I guess she is not in the best of health these days, so he wants to spend time with her."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense." Sara closed her locker. "Well, have fun at the pageant."

Catherine smiled at Sara as she exited the room. "Thanks, Sara." Sara turned and waved as she disappeared around the corner and down the hallway.

As she entered the break room, Sara smiled at Greg and Sofia. They sat at the table across from one another sipping coffee and waiting for Grissom to hand out assignments. Sara sat down next to Greg and smiled at him.

"Thanks for the card." She patted his arm. "It made me laugh."

"Well, anything to make you smile." Greg said as he waggled his eyebrows at her. This made Sara and Sofia laugh out loud.

"What's so funny?" Grissom entered the room and sat down across from Sara and next to Sofia.

"Just Greg." Sofia commented flatly.

"Oh, well, I hope he can keep up his sense of humor on a 419 in an alley."

"Oh, no, please, Grissom!" Greg pleaded with his supervisor. Grissom just smiled and handed him the slip.

"Have fun in the dumpster." Grissom smiled at him. Sofia and Sara laughed at Greg's reaction. "Not so fast with the laughter. Sofia, I need you to go with him."

Greg smiled as he grabbed the slip. Sofia stood and followed Greg silently out the door. Grissom looked across the table at Sara. "I, uh, don't have anything else pressing, so you have time to work on your court presentation."

"Great. I want this guy to be convicted." Sara got up from the table and headed to get her case files from storage. She grabbed the two boxes she needed and headed to one of the layout rooms.

Several hours passed as Sara went through the evidence carefully and rechecked her documentation. She was feeling confident that the scumbag who abused his family would pay for it in the end. Sara sat down on a stool and sighed.

"So, you think you're ready?" Grissom asked her from the doorway.

Sara proceeded to go over everything with Grissom, listening to his suggestions and making notes. She was glad that they had been getting along a little better. Things certainly weren't perfect, but she would take what she could get. After a half hour of review Grissom stood silently watching Sara as she wrote on her notepad.

"Sara." He stepped closer to her and glanced around to make sure no one would overhear. "I, uh, really think that maybe this year, you should consider taking time off for the Holidays."

Sara stopped writing, but didn't stand up from her crouched position. She stilled her pen mid-word. She stayed that way for a few seconds then began to write again. Grissom just stared at her and let out a heavy sigh.

"Sara. Will you please stop. Look at me, please."

"Fine." Sara thunked her pen down on the pad and stood facing him, arms crossed against her chest. "But I always work Christmas, Grissom. I don't have anywhere to go. Everyone else has family they want to see."

"I know, Sara. But I cleared it with Ecklie, and Warrick will take your shifts for a few days. Things are slow on Swing right now, he can spare him."

"What? Is this an order? Are you ORDERING me to take time off, Grissom?" She was getting furious now. She waved her arms around as she spoke to her supervisor.

"Sara, calm down!" Grissom pushed her down to sit on the stool next to her and placed a hand on each of her arms. "Listen. You have so much time accumulated, you need a break. You need to do this."

Sara just stared at him, the anger evident in her eyes. She was breathing in and out heavily through her nose. He knew she was still fuming.

"As I said, you have a few days off, but I'm not ordering you. But I do have a proposition for you." Grissom shuffled his feet and stared at the floor.

"What?" Sara looked at him now. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means, Sara, that I need you to take a few days off and while you are off, I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"What kind of favor? Cuz if it involves bugs, forget it."

"I thought you liked bugs?" He had a genuine hurt look on his face. This made Sara chuckle and soon she was laughing.

"Griss, I don't mind bugs at a crime scene. It's part of the job. I jut don't LOVE bugs the way you do. I prefer mine dead or exterminated." She smiled at him.

"It has nothing to do with bugs. Can I continue?" He raised his brows at her.

"Please do." Sara sat and watched his facial expressions as he spoke. Whatever he had to say, it was apparent he was finding it difficult.

"Sara, my mom is sick. She's developed pancreatic cancer. This will be the last Christmas we have together."

"I'm so sorry, Griss." Sara put her hand on his arm. "What can I possibly do to help?"

"Well, here's the thing. She kinda thinks that.......well.......that..........that I'm seeing someone....and she was so sick and only worried about me.........so I told her..........and now she's expecting met to bring you to meet her."

"WHAT!? You told her I was your girlfriend?" Sara was back to angry.

"Sssshhhh." Grissom put his hands on her shoulders. "I didn't tell her that you were my girlfriend."

"Oh, good. WHEW!" Sara smiled at him.

"I told her we were engaged." He blurted it out and stepped back a few paces, afraid she would physically lash out at him, but she remained calm. Sara just sat on the stool, not saying anything. After a few minutes, she looked up and stared him straight in the eye.

"Why me?" He could barely hear her words.

"Sara." He stood there, not knowing what to say.

"Just tell her you broke it off. Tell her I'm no good for you."

"Sara, I cant do that. This is Christmas. Her only wish in life is to see me happily married. I just want to make her last Christmas a special one. Will you please help me out?"

"Why me? Why not Catherine? Or Sofia? Or Lady Heather?" Sara sat sternly staring at him.

"Because Sara, you know me better than anyone, even Catherine." He confessed.

Sara didn't know what to say. She stood there for what seemed like forever, playing out all the scenarios of how this would go with his mom. There would be personal questions about her family. How would she answer that? Did he expect her to lie? Where would she sleep? Where does his mom live?

"Sara. Sara." Grissom snapped his fingers in front of her face.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking." She shook her head hoping to refocus.

"Thinking yes or no?" Grissom smiled at her in hope.

"Well, I'm thinking that we need to come up with a plausible story on our engagement."

"You'll do it? Really?" Grissom smiled wide at Sara. "We leave in two days."

"Griss, where are we going?"

"Oh, she lives in Michigan. So, pack sweaters and bring a ski jacket."

Grissom smiled at her and pulled her in for a quick hug. "Thanks so much for doing this, Sara."

Sara smiled at him. They had two days until he was expected at his mothers home. Two days to create an alternate universe. Two days to get used to being around each other so personally. Two days until Sara had a Christmas she was sure she would never forget.

"Oh, and Sara," Grissom stepped close and whispered. "We need to keep this quiet. As far as everyone else is concerned, you are taking a much needed vacation."

"Right." She flashed a grin at him. "No worries in that department."

"Great!" He headed down the hall, a lightness in his step that had been absent earlier.

Sara put her head in her hands. _What have I gotten into? _She packed up everything into the boxes and put them back in lockup. Greg and Sofia were back with evidence from their dumpster dive so she decided to help process the clothing with Sofia.

"So, I see on the Holiday schedule you are actually taking some time off." Sofia mentioned to Sara as they were running the ALS over a pair of jeans.

"What? How did you know?" Sara looked up from her inspection of the garment.

"Ecklie posted the Holiday schedule when Greg and I were coming in. Its in the break room."

"Oh. I, Uh. I haven't really taken time off in a long time and I have worked Christmas since I got here in Vegas 5 years ago."

"Well, good. You deserve it, Sara." They continued to work in silence for a few minutes when Sofia began questioning.

"So, what do you have planned?"

"Oh, uh, just visiting with some friends out East. Have a White Christmas and all that." Sara smiled at Sofia, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.

"That sounds nice."

"What sounds nice?" Greg leaned on the layout table between Sara and Sofia with a huge grin on his face.

"Oh, uh, Sara is going out East for the Holidays."

"REALLY! Cool! You gonna go skiing? Sledding? You should build a snowman!"

"Calm down, boy!" Sara laughed at his enthusiasm. "I will probably throw a snowball or two, but I am not so sure on the skiing or sledding."

"Afraid you'll fall and bruise your butt?" Greg chuckled.

"Greg. My butt is none of your business. You should be concerned with yours."

"I will take that into consideration."

"Greg, are you going to help, or just insult Sara?" Sofia was sorting through photos as she spoke to him.

"Well, I can take your trace evidence over to Hodges and see if I can't encourage him to speed it up a bit." Greg grabbed the evidence bags and headed off to the Trace Lab.

"Why doesn't he just get a clue?" Sofia commented to Sara once Greg left.

"Ah, he is harmless." Sara pulled off her gloves. "I'm about done here. You need anything?"

"Nah, I got this. It's way past quitting time, you go ahead. I got this covered. We can go over any results tomorrow."

"Night, Sofia." Sara took off to find Grissom. He wasn't in his office or the Break Room. Maybe he had gone home. Sara let out a frustrated breath and headed towards the locker room. When she got out to her car she dialed Grissom's cell. All she got was voice mail. He must be sleeping already. Sara headed home and crawled into bed after a nice long, hot shower. She drifted off to sleep within minutes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Grissom woke to the sound of his cell phone going off. He reached for it, but whoever was calling had hung by the time he found it on his night stand. He looked at the caller ID. Sara Sidle. He smiled and dialed her number. It went straight to voice mail. Grissom put his phone down and crawled back under the covers. He would call her when he got up.

Several hours later Grissom woke to the sound of his cell phone once again. He grabbed it and groggily answered, "Grissom".

"Gil! Are you still asleep?"

"Catherine? What time is it?"

"Its 8pm."

"Oh. Crap. I must have forgotten to turn on the alarm. I was going to get up a couple hours ago." _I was too busy dreaming about a certain brunette and slept through it. _"We were supposed to meet with Ecklie at 7pm. I'm sorry."

"Well, I was going to yell at you, but I know you have a lot going on right now. So, I guess I will forgive you this time."

"Thank you, Catherine. I really do appreciate it." He sat up on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through his hair.

"The budget meeting went fine. Ecklie gave me the Holiday schedule. I see Sara finally took some days off."

"Yeah, uh, I had a talk with her. She works too much and she always works Christmas. I talked to Warrick and he said he could do it no problem." Grissom got up and pulled a sweatshirt on while he listened to Catherine talk.

"Yeah, I talked to him. He's fine with it. Well, I just wanted to check in with you. I put the budget report on your desk. Just sign it and hand it in to Ecklie before you take off tomorrow." she paused for a moment, but Gil knew that wasn't why she called, so he waited. "So, uh. About Sara......Did she say what she was doing, because yesterday she said she was working Christmas. And now she is scheduled to be off. I'm just concerned about her, Gil. She's very emotional lately. I don't work with her much anymore, but I hear Sofia and Greg talking about how she hardly ever sleeps or eats and seems to fly off the handle at the smallest thing, especially where you are concerned."

Grissom let out a sigh. "Catherine, this is not new information. I know how she has been. I work with her every night. That's why I basically ordered her to take some time off and made arrangements in advance so she would have no excuses. Does that answer your questions?"

"Yeah. I just thought it was odd that she had decided so quickly. Now I know why. Just keep an eye on her. We can't have her losing her temper with suspects or getting so emotional she compromises evidence. Maybe this vacation will clear her head."

"You know as well as I that too many hours can lead to burnout. So, my intention with the arranged time off is for Sara to avoid that happening to her." He paused for a moment. "Look, Catherine, I need to get dressed for shift. I will talk to you tomorrow afternoon before I leave, make sure you are all filled in on cases."

"Oh, ok, Gil. See ya later."

Grissom showered and dressed in record time. He made it into the lab later than usual. Sara was already there in the layout room. In his haste to get to work, he hadn't had time to call her to discuss their trip. He headed to his office to drop off his briefcase. He was sorting through his mail when he heard a soft knocking.

"Can I come in?" Sara stood in the doorway.

"Of course, Sara." He smiled at her.

"We, uh, need to discuss a few things, but I don't think here is the appropriate place."

"Yeah, uh, well......."

"Want to come over after shift? I can pick us up some breakfast on the way."

Grissom couldn't help but smile at her. He had fantasized about spending afternoons wrapped up in a blanket with Sara on her sofa. They would watch old movies and cuddle. And then he would hug her close to him as she fell asleep in his arms.

"Griss?" Sara was staring at him, a slight smile on her lips.

"Oh, sorry." He ran his hand over his beard and sat down in his chair. "Yeah, uh, I can meet you after shift."

"Ok." Sara turned and headed for the breakroom.

Grissom pulled into a parking space near Sara's apartment building. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. _Why are you so nervous? This is just Sara. You see her everyday!_ He jumped when he heard a knock on his window. He turned his head and smiled. Sara was laughing at him. He opened the door and got out.

"Do you often nap in parking lots?" Sara asked jokingly.

"No. I was merely taking a moment to put my thoughts together."

"Oh." Sara smiled at him. "Well, sorry I interrupted."

Grissom just gave her an annoyed look and took one of the two bags she was carrying. He followed her up the walk to her building. They remained silent on the elevator ride to the third floor and as Sara unlocked the door. He followed her to her tiny kitchen and put the bag on the counter next to the one she had deposited.

"Coffee?"

"Yes, coffee sounds wonderful." Grissom sat on one of the stools at her island counter and watched as she made coffee and unpacked the groceries.

"So, you like pancakes, right? I mean, I know you sometimes order them when we go out for breakfast." Sara leaned back against the counter.

"Yeah, pancakes are great."

Sara busied herself pulling out what she needed to make pancakes. Her back was to Grissom now as she stirred the batter and heated the pan on the stove. She hadn't heard him move, but suddenly he was there, standing next to her.

"Coffee cups?" He gestured in the direction of the cupboards. Sara pointed to indicate which one. He pulled out two mugs and poured himself a cup. "Now or when you're eating?"

"When I'm eating. It might get too cold if you pour it now." Sara nervously poured the batter into the pan, one eye on Grissom's movements. She let out a small breath when he returned to his perch on the stool.

"So, I suppose we should go over details of this trip." Sara turned to face him as she waited for the food to finish cooking. "I need to know what to pack, when we leave, what flight we are on. What you have told your mom about me. About .......us."

Grissom shifted nervously on the stool. He leaned forward and rested his arms on the counter. "Well, the flight leaves tomorrow evening at 7pm. We get into Detroit and rent a car and drive to where my mom is staying. Its about a three hour drive. She just recently moved there to live with my Aunt when it became hard to live on her own. She was living in California until about a year ago. I tried to get her to move to Vegas, but she wasn't too keen on the idea of living in Sin City." He smiled at the memory of that conversation.

"Well, not many are suited to live here." Sara commented flatly as she flipped the pancakes.

"Anyway, uh, like I said, she has cancer. She's undergoing some treatment, but in the end, its just prolonging the inevitable. My Aunt and her daughter, my cousin Debbie, have been really great through all this. I visited her a few weeks ago. She was going on and on about how she was proud of me and how I put criminals away."

Grissom paused to sip at his coffee. Sara didn't say anything. This was a side of Grissom she never got to see. He was being so open and honest. She gave him an encouraging smile as she placed pancakes on a plate and handed them to him. Sara poured herself a cup of coffee and pulled a stool around to the opposite side of the counter so she could face Grissom as he continued talking.

"These are really good." Grissom smiled at her as he chewed.

"Its just a mix. No real intricate recipe or anything." Grissom was quiet now, eating his food and drinking his coffee. When he had finished he got up and put his plate in the sink and poured another cup of coffee.

"Refill?" He asked from behind Sara.

"Yeah, thanks." Sara turned and held out her cup to him as he topped off her cup. "So, sounds like your mom is proud of you and what you do. Why the lie about being engaged?"

Grissom sat back on the stool and let out a sigh. "Well, she began to talk about how she wished that I had found something other than work to be the love of my life. So, I told her I had been seeing someone for a while and that we had actually gotten engaged. When she kept pressing me for information, your name just...........I couldn't tell her Catherine, because she's met her before. She knows there never was or would never be anything there other than friendship."

"Hmmm." Was all Sara said so he continued.

"Look, I hate to lie, so I decided that if I just told her about someone real, that I wouldn't slip and forget what I had told her."

"Ok. So, you told her about me. Now, WHAT did you tell her, Griss?" Sara smiled at him.

"Sara." He rubbed his hand across his face. "Ok, look, my mom knows."

"Knows what?" Sara was genuinely confused.

"About us. Berkley."

"Oh." Sara guzzled down the rest of her coffee. "You told her about us?"

"Yeah." Gil reached across the counter and took Sara's hand into his own. She was staring at him now. "I never intended to hurt you, Sara. I never do. Those months we had back then, meant a lot to me. I couldn't hide it when I visited my mom that year for Christmas. I told her all about you. How beautiful you are, how intelligent you are." He smiled at her now. Sara Sidle was genuinely blushing!

"I'm not beautiful, Grissom." He squeezed her hand and leaned in closer. "Yes, you are, Sara. Don't ever think you're not." She gave him a weak smile. "My mom was more than thrilled that I was seeing someone. She even helped me pick out the ring."

A/N: HEHEHE! Sorry to leave you hanging! I was hoping to finish this by Christmas, but a small story turned into a bigger one, so I am hoping to have this done by late tomorrow, but please don't send hate mail or Ecklie to my house if its not. LOL. Please leave a Review!!! I love reviews! Its my Christmas wish! HEHEHEHE. Thanks for all the reviews so far, I really, really do love them! WENDY


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"What ring?" Sara pulled her hand out of his.

"Well, when I told my mom about .....you. She insisted we go out and pick out a ring for when I propose."

"Well, that's a bit presumptive!" Sara sneered at Grissom.

"Look, I told her I gave it to you a few weeks ago when I proposed." Grissom reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small black box and handed it to Sara, a smile on his face.

Sara stared at the box. She ran her finger over the top and the gold lettering that labeled it as being from Cook Jewelers. She took off the top and pulled out the smaller black velvet box inside. She smiled at Grissom and opened it to find a beautiful white gold, diamond and sapphire ring. Sara gasped when she saw it.

"Wow! It's beautiful." Sara held it up to the light for closer inspection. "Your mom definitely has good taste, Grissom."

"It's Gil, Sara. You should probably call me by my first name."

"Right. I guess it would be a bit weird to have me calling you Grissom when I am supposedly going to be one soon." Sara chuckled to herself and handed the ring back to Grissom.

"You should keep that. You're going to have to wear it while we are at my Aunt's house."

"Right." Sara put it on her finger, just to try it out. She held up her hand and tried not to smile. It really was a gorgeous ring.

"It looks good on you." Grissom stated in a barely audible voice. Sara just smiled a crooked smile at him.

"So, there's your mom, your Aunt and your cousin, right?"

"Yes. Aunt Beth is mom's younger sister. Debbie is my cousin, Beth's daughter. She's 8 years younger than I am. They are all living in Aunt Beth's home that she has lived in for 40 years. Uncle Herb died a couple years ago. That's when mom decided to move in with Aunt Beth. It was just better that way for everyone."

"So, Gris-, I mean Gil." He shot her a smile. "Do I need to pack anything special to wear, besides warm clothes?"

"Well, there is Mass on Christmas Eve, but I don't expect you to go to that. I know you don't hold to those religious beliefs. They will all understand."

"No. I don't mind going. I'll just make sure to pack a dress or skirt. Is there anything else I should know? What have you told them about me?"

Grissom sat silently for a moment. "I told them the truth, Sara. I told them about work, they know our history. I told them you aren't close to your family, so you were glad to spend the Holidays with us."

"They didn't ask questions? About my parents or where I grew up?"

"I told them what I know, which isn't much. I told them you grew up in California but weren't close to your family. I know you have a brother, but I don't even know his name. I told them you are an exceptional criminalist."

"So, just the good stuff." Grissom just stared at her. Her tone was sarcastic. She was afraid he had said something to make his family not like her.

"Sara, I'm sure they will welcome you with open arms. Don't worry so much. There's no reason to NOT like you." He took her left hand in his and ran his thumb over the ring. He looked up only to be caught by her warm brown gaze. He gave a weak smile but never broke away from her stare. She returned the smile and leaned in closer. Grissom held his breath. Sara was going to kiss him! He leaned forward, lifting off of the stool a little, watching as she put her hand behind his head and then placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"You know, you can be sweet when you give it a try." Grissom just smiled and sat back down on the stool. Sara pulled her hand away from his and turned toward the counter to refill her cup. "Want some more?"

"No, I'm good. Actually, I should probably get going. I need to get some sleep and then go in to the lab for a bit to go over some things with Catherine before we fly out."

"Oh, ok." Did she sound disappointed?

Grissom stood and put on his coat and walked over to the door. Sara followed closely behind. Grissom turned to say good bye and found Sara right in front of him. They found themselves staring into each others eyes once again. Grissom didn't hesitate this time but pulled Sara to him and kissed her. When their lips met, it was heaven. Memories of fonder times came flooding in and he heard Sara moan and step closer to him. When he felt her tongue against his lip, he heard himself moan and opened up for her. The stood there devouring one another with lips and tongues. Sara slowly pulled away, needing to breath, to think.

"Sara......" Grissom was at a loss for words.

"Gil...." Sara placed her hand on his bearded cheek and smiled. "Glad we got that out of the way."

"What?"

"Well, it would be kind of awkward to have our first kiss in 7 years be in front of your mom, aunt and cousin." She smiled at him.

"We're going to kiss in front of them?" Grissom was amused.

"Well, I mean I don't know, but it might come up. We ARE supposed to be newly engaged." She waggled her eyebrows at him, eliciting a chuckle in return.

Gil opened the door slowly, watching Sara as he stepped through and out into the hallway.

"See you tomorrow. I'll be here at 5pm to pick you up."

"Ok. See you then. I'll be ready. Just call and I can just meet you out at the car."

"Ok. Bye." With that, Grissom headed for the elevator and made his way out to his car and

headed home to get some sleep.

CSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSI

Sara and Grissom settled into their seats on their flight to Detroit. Sara sat by the window, then Gil and then an elderly woman. Gil just smiled at the woman and listened as she told him all about her family that she was going to visit in Detroit. Sara smiled and lay her head back and closed her eyes.

Sara woke an hour later, she was leaning against something warm. She lifted her head to the gaze of Gil Grissom and his sparkling blue eyes. "Have a good nap?" He asked as he flipped the page of the magazine he was reading.

"Yeah. Sorry I was leaning on you. I didn't even realize."

"Sara, no need to apologize. I don't mind. I kinda like it." He winked at her. She just squinted her eyes and furrowed her brow at him.

"Oh, Dear, you woke up finally." The elderly woman, whom Grissom found out was named Ruth, leaned forward to talk to Sara. "I was probably driving your father crazy with my chatter."

Grissom's eyes got wide and he turned to Sara, his mouth open. Sara chuckled and patted Gil on the thigh. "He's, uh, NOT my father. He's my fiancé."

"Oh, my goodness, I am so sorry." Ruth sat back in embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it. There is an age difference, but I don't care. All I see is a very handsome, brilliant man that I care for very deeply." Sara laced her fingers with Gil's as she spoke, emphasizing her point.

"I can see how he cares for you, I just assumed wrongly as to why." The elderly woman sat back and remained virtually silent for the remainder of the flight. Grissom smiled at Sara, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"You called me your fiancé." He grinned at her. Sara just shrugged and stared out the window.

They landed a couple hours later and rented a mid size car and headed out of the city towards his Aunt's home. As they drove farther and farther away from civilization, it reminded Sara of the desert. Instead of sand and rock, there were endless snow covered fields that once grew corn and wheat.

"I'm glad it's not snowing. I never liked driving in snow." Grissom was concentrating on driving. Sara studied his profile and smiled. What she told Ruth was true. He was handsome, brilliant and she didn't care if he was 20 or 80, she really did care for him. She wouldn't call it love, but if they ever decided to do something about "this", it certainly had that potential. Sara sighed and leaned her head against the cool glass of the passenger door. She just hoped that Gil's family didn't see her the way Ruth saw her - some younger woman with daddy issues.

"You ok?" Gil was looking at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking. Taking in the scenery."

"Well, its about another hour. You know, about 20 miles from my Mom's there is an Indian Casino." Grissom chuckled. "We should go check it out."

"Really? That would be interesting." She thought for another minute. "Do they have shows there, like in Vegas?"

"Well, I think they have concerts or comics, but nothing like Vegas!"

"Yeah, Vegas is just....." Sara and Grissom finished in unison. "Vegas!" They both laughed.

Soon they were pulling into a long driveway in front of an old two story home, typical of those found on farms in Central Michigan. The front window displayed the lighted tree inside. The front porch was draped with pine garland and multi-colored lights. Someone had made a snowman in the front yard. Sara smiled. It was like a scene in the movies.

"You ready?" Grissom took her hand rubbed his thumb across the ring, a gesture Sara was beginning to enjoy. Sara leaned in a gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Let's go, Love." She teased and got out of the car. Grissom got their bags out of the trunk and they walked up the three steps to the front door.

A/N: Well, I am sorry, my little CSI fans, I did NOT finish this today. So, lucky you, you will be subjected to my story for a few more days!!! I just couldn't do the story justice in a few chapters! So, please leave a review. A big thanks to all who have left reviews! Its so encouraging!!!! So keep it up! Also, its late, but MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Wendy :O)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Before Grissom could open the door, it was flung open! Both Sara and Gil were swept up into a tangle of arms as they were passed from woman to woman in a series of bear hugs. Sara was smiling wide and laughing. Gil took her hand as they were finally allowed to enter. The youngest of the three women, whom Sara assumed was Debbie, took their coats and pointed them in the direction of the living room. The two elder women sat in matching recliners, leaving the love seat for Sara and Gil. Debbie entered the room and pulled a rocking chair up closer from the corner.

"Sara," Grissom began to sign what he was saying. Sara tried to not act shocked. This was one bit of information Grissom had left out. She knew he knew sign language, but wasn't sure of the circumstances. Well, one mystery solved. She looked up at Grissom as he continued.

"This is my Aunt Beth". He pointed to her and she waved her hand at Sara.

"This is Debbie. My cousin." Debbie got up and shook Sara's hand saying it was a "pleasure."

"And last but not least....." Grissom smiled widely at his mother. "This is my mom, Jane Grissom." His mom began to speak and sign at the same time. "I'm so glad to finally meet you, Sara."

Sara looked to Gil for direction on how to address his mother. As if he read her mind he informed her that if she just spoke slowly and clearly, she would understand her and communication should not be a problem.

"Well, Thank you for letting me join you for the Holiday." Sara spoke clearly in her court voice, Gil noted. Without thinking Grissom took Sara's hand in his. She looked at him and smiled. She looked around the room to see three women smiling at them.

"Sara, how about I show you to your room so you can unpack. Which means, Gilbert, you need to go get your bags." Debbie pulled Sara up by the hand and towards the stairs.

Grissom chuckled and went to get their luggage. Sara followed Debbie up the stairs to a small landing.

"The room at the end of the hall is the bathroom. Only one shower. There is a half bath downstairs that was installed about 10 years ago. Aunt Jane has a room on the main floor. The room on the left is mom's. That's the master bedroom. The one on the right are the two smaller rooms. The one closest to the bathroom is mine, and this one...."she opened the door next to where they were standing. "This where you and Gilbert are staying."

"Oh. Together?" Debbie gave her a curious look. "I just mean, I didn't know what his mom and your mom would think is appropriate." _Good save, Sidle!_

"Oh, pssh!" Debbie waved her had in dismissal. "They know you two aren't virgins. It's not a big deal. Besides, you are going to be married."

"Right." Sara just smiled at her as they entered the room. Debbie flipped the overhead light on. It was a small room with a double bed, dresser, and closet. _This should be interesting_, Sara thought.

"Hey." Grissom entered the room and plopped the bags down on the bed. "Get the grand tour?"

"Um, yeah. Debbie was just showing me where everything is." Sara stood with her arms crossed, rocking on her heels.

"Well, there are clean towels in the linen closet in the bathroom. I will leave you two to unpack." Debbie smiled mischievously at the duo and headed off to the main floor.

"Well, I guess we will be cozy." Sara smirked at Grissom.

"Yeah, um." He rubbed a hand across his mouth and beard. "I could sleep on the floor, Sara."

Sara moved towards him and then reached behind him to shut the door. Grissom turned to look at her, his eyes wide. _Was he scared?_ Sara chuckled out loud.

"What, uh, what is so funny?" He shuffled nervously, putting his hands in his pockets.

"You are, Gilbert." She emphasized his name.

"You know, that IS my name, Sara." He was pouting a bit now. Sara stepped closer to him, he shuffled again.

"You know, the floor here is cold, and one of us sleeping on the couch would cause suspicion. So, I suggest this." She sat on the bed and pulled Grissom down to sit next to her. She leaned in close to him so she was only a few inches from his face. "I say we make the most of it."

The room grew silent. Sara heard Grissom swallow. Brown eyes stared in question at unsure blue eyes. "What, uh, do you mean by that?" He finally spoke, his gaze never leaving hers. Sara answered by leaning in and placing her lips against his. It was a soft, gentle kiss. She leaned back a bit and waited for Grissoms reaction. He just sat with his eyes closed.

"Griss?" She moved her hand to his face and gently stroked his bearded cheek. She smiled when Grissom leaned into her palm. He opened his eyes and placed his hand over hers, removing it from his face. He stared at their hands where they rested on his thigh.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Sara." He stood then and went to the other side of the bed to unpack his suitcase. Sara just sat there, he face red with embarrassment and humiliation.

"Knock, knock!" Aunt Beth opened the door as she placed a few small knocks on the door. "I hope I'm not interrupting." She smiled at them.

"No, not at all, Aunt Beth." Grissom moved over to the closet to hang up some shirts. "We were just unpacking."

"Oh." She sounded disappointed. "Well, why don't you come down and have a cup of cocoa with us before bedtime?"

"That sounds nice, doesn't it Griss-uh, Gil?" Sara turned to Gil and he nodded in agreement.

"We'll be down in just a few minutes, Aunt Beth."

"Ok, but hurry, you don't want cold cocoa!" She turned and left them alone once again.

Grissom hung up the last of his clothes and began to open up Sara's bag to unpack it. She stood and pushed him aside with a huff and hung up her clothes. "I'll finish when we get back." She stated and walked out the door. Grissom rolled his eyes and followed her downstairs.

"There you two are!" Debbie commented as the descended the stairs. Once again, they left the love seat vacant for them. Grissom smiled and took her hand in his as they sat. Sara gave a stiff smile and gently pulled her hand away from his when Aunt Beth handed her a cup of cocoa.

"I put extra marshmallows in it just like you liked it when you were a boy, Gilly." Grissom winced at the nickname and Sara snickered, mumbling "Gilly" under her breath.

"So, Sara, tell us how Gilbert proposed." Sara's eyes shot up and she stared at Mrs. Grissom, trying to think quickly_. Why hadn't she thought of this before? Grissom said he told them he proposed recently, right? SHIT! _

"I think Sara's a bit overwhelmed, Mother." She turned suddenly to look at Grissom as he took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb over the ring. "We had been working for 10 days straight, no days off, a couple double shifts were in the mix as well. So, when we finally got a day off together, I booked a day at the spa for Sara. I met her after her day of pampering at a really nice restaurant in that same hotel for a romantic dinner."

Sara just listened, eyes wide, a slight smile on her face as Grissom spoke. Had he thought this out? Who knew he could be so romantic? When he finished telling them how he had the waiter deliver the box on a desert plate instead of desert, the women in the room let out a round of "aww" and "so romantic". Sara squeezed his hand and smiled.

"That's so romantic, Gilbert." Grissom smiled at his mom. "So, have you two set a date?"

Grissom turned to Sara. They were both stammering out a response and finally Sara answered with "Next Fall". Grissom let out a deep breath and lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it in appreciation. Sara just smiled at him and then turned to the three women who were hanging on every word and interaction they shared.

"I'm so happy that Gilbert has finally decided to ask you to marry him, I know he'd been thinking about it all these years." Grissom's mom told Sara.

"Oh, really? I mean, yeah. I'm glad too." Sara turned to Grissom who was presently staring at a picture on the wall behind his Mother.

"Yeah, we are too, Sara." Debbie took over where her Aunt left off. "I was beginning to think that "Sara" was someone he made up to keep us off his back." They all chuckled and Sara shifted nervously in her seat. Grissom wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to his side. Sara leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "we need to talk" into his ear. He just smiled and gave her a reassuring hug.

"You two are so cute together." Aunt Beth observed.

"Thanks, Aunt Beth."

Debbie got up and collected the now empty mugs of cocoa from everyone and deposited them in the kitchen. She entered the room yawning. "I think its time to turn in." The elder women agreed. Grissom gave his mom a hug and kiss on the cheek. They then headed up the stairs declaring "good night" in unison to the remaining two women.

When the door to their room was shut, Sara began to pace. Grissom just gathered his toiletries and pajamas and headed to the bathroom, deciding she needed a few minutes alone to calm down. Sara sat on the bed and put her head in her hands. _How did she get herself into this? What exactly had Grissom been telling his family about them? WHY did he choose to use her in his lies? _Sara put the rest of her clothes away in the top drawer of the dresser and began to put her pajamas on when Grissom entered the room. "SHIT! GRISSOM!" Sara hurriedly pulled on her t-shirt.

"Sara, I am so sorry." Grissom stood facing the closed bedroom door. "Let me know when you are decent."

"You can turn around." She sat on the side of the bed, her back to him. Grissom put his things away and sat down next to Sara.

"So, you've been using me as an excuse for a while now." He didn't miss the accusing tone of her voice.

"Yeah." He sat staring at his hands. "I'm sorry about a lot of things, Sara. Im sorry I didn't tell you about my mother's deafness. I didn't tell you about the sleeping arrangements. I am so sorry I didn't tell you about the lies."

"I don't like surprises Grissom." Sara crawled into bed and pulled the covers tightly around her, her back to Grissom. "Good Night."

Grissom sighed and turned off the light and crawled in next to Sara. He lay flat on his back staring at the ceiling.

"I'm not mad, Grissom." Sara rolled over to her back, staring at the same patterns on the ceiling as Grissom. He turned his head to look at her frofile. He sat up, leaning back against the headboard.

"I didn't want to upset you, Sara. I was thinking of my mother and myself. I never thought it would end up like this. My mom......dying....and having to lie." His voice was breaking. He was holding back tears. Sara sat up next to him. She reached over with her left hand to wipe the lone tear from Grissom's cheek.

Grissom turned to look into Sara's eyes. He put his hand on hers and brought it to his lips, softly kissing the palm of her hand. Suddenly Sara was there, straddling his lap, pressing her soft flesh against his. "Sara...."

"Ssshhh. Don't think, Gil. Just go with it." Sara pressed her lips to his and slowly began to drive him out of his mind with her lips and tongue. She pressed closer, feeling him against her center. When Grissom moaned, she moved her hips, causing him to press her closer, his hands on her backside.

"Oh, Gil!" Sara moaned out loud. Grissom chuckled, pulling away his lips from hers for a moment.

"I love hearing you moan my name." He moved his hips against hers to prove his point. When Sara opened her mouth he swallowed her words with a deep, sloppy kiss."But I don't really think my Aunt and cousin need to know what we are doing."

"Gil" she whispered this time, smiling at him. "You ok with this?"

"Sara." He leaned his forehead against hers, panting for air. "God, I miss kissing you."

"Then why did you stop?" Sara pulled herself off of his lap and sat down next to him on the bed.

"Let's not go over this now, Sara. I'm too tired, too emotional." He looked over at her. She was still angry, whether she wanted to admit or not. She had gone back to her original position, curled up facing away from him.

"Im tired too, Grissom. So tired of it all."

Grissom stared up at the ceiling again. Somehow he had to make things right with Sara. But first, they had to make it through the next few days. He closed his eyes and sleep finally over took him.

Debbie sat up on the edge of her bed. She hadn't meant to hear what was going on in the next room, but apparently the walls weren't so thick. At first, she heard Sara's rather loud moaning and calling out Gils's name. She chuckled. Then she heard Gil's distinct voice saying he "missed kissing her". Their voices were hushed but she heard Sara say she was "tired of it all". Apparently everything was not well in paradise. By the time they left for Vegas, Debbie vowed that Gil and Sara would be happy and have a date set for their wedding.

A/N: Thanks for reading! And thanks for all the wonderful reviews! A few of you mentioned Ruth saying something about Gil being Sara's father. I just put that in to feed into Grissom's fears. So it might come up again! (Hint Hint). Hope I didn't disappoint. Just a little angst, but not much. Please leave a review! Wendy :O)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Grissom woke slowly. He was lying on his back. He turned his head to look at Sara. She was curled up right next to him hugging his left arm, her feet tangled with his. He smiled to himself. He really could get used to this. The warmth, the closeness, the feel of another live human sleeping next to you. So intimate and trusting. He let out a sigh, wondering how things had gone so wrong.

Sara stirred, moving her left arm to his chest, tangling her legs with his. Grissom turned his body to face her and hugged her close, hoping she would remain sleeping. He felt her pull back slightly and knew she was awake, but she didn't pull away. She relaxed and hugged him closer, her hand beginning to draw circular patterns on his chest.

"Did you sleep well?" Grissom whispered close to her ear.

Sara turned her head up to look into his eyes. She gave him a slight smile. "It was ok. I'm sorry about last night, Griss. I just get so.....emotional sometimes."

Grissom hugged her closer and kissed the top of her head. They lay there snuggling for several minutes. They could hear Debbie and his Aunt Beth talking back and forth from their rooms and the bathroom. Grissom chuckled. "These walls are really thin, huh?"

"Crap." Sara muttered under her breath. "I hope they didn't hear us fighting......and, you know."

Grissom placed his hand on her cheek and moved his lips towards hers, stopping just short of actually touching. "You mean hearing you call out my name in wanton need?"

"Grissom!" Sara said in shock.

"Exactly. But I think you used _GIL_ last night." He gently kissed her lips. "I like it when you call me Gil." He kissed her again but quickly pulled away.

"You think they are awake?" They heard Aunt Beth asking Debbie out in the hall

"Leave em alone, mom. They are a newly engaged couple who need their time together."

"They had all night. It's about time they got up. I'm going to go get breakfast on, you get em up. I expect everyone for breakfast in 30 minutes." She thumped her way down the stairs.

Grissom placed small tender kisses to Sara's lips, forehead and nose. "We should get up."

"I like it right here." Sara smiled and pulled him in for a passionate kiss, not pulling away until they were both gasping for air. "Amazing." She smiled at him.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

"Um, Gilbert? I hate to bother you, but our mother's are expecting us for breakfast."

"Ok, Debbie, we'll be down soon." Grissom yelled at her from the bed. Sara just smiled at him and got out of bed, grabbing her showering items and some clothes. Sara pulled open the door to find Debbie pacing in the hallway.

"Oh, morning!" Debbie greeted.

"Morning Debbie. Grissom and I will be down as soon as we shower." Sara headed to the bathroom and shut the door. Debbie heard Gil moving around in the room, so she slowly approached the door. It was mostly open so she peered in, making sure Gil was decent.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure. What's up?" Grissom sat down on the bed and pointed to the spot next to him, indicating Debbie to take a seat. Debbie smiled and sat down on the bed, her left leg bent so she could sit sideways and face Gil.

"Gilbert, is everything ok with you and Sara?"

"What? Why would you ask that?"

"Well, I kinda heard you two last night.........arguing."

"Oh, that. It's nothing. Just a little disagreement. We're fine." He waved his hand in dismissal, trying to act casual. Debbie had known Gilbert Grissom all of her life, and she knew he was holding something back. Something was NOT alright here.

"Well, if you say so." She smiled at him.

"Be ready soon. Our mom's get cranky when people aren't on time for meals." She winked at him and headed down the stairs. Grissom sighed and rubbed his hand across his face. He hoped he survived the next two days.

CSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSI

They were all sitting around the large kitchen table eating pancakes and bacon, except for Sara, of course. Sara chuckled when Gil's mom admonished him for not mentioning that Sara was a vegetarian. He gave her a look that said "I'll get you for that later". Sara just smiled and continued to eat her pancake.

"So, tonight is the Christmas Eve Service at our church. Will you be joining us, Sara?" Grissom's Aunt Beth asked from across the table.

"Oh, well....." she looked at Grissom. He had a blank look on his face. "I don't usually do that. But, I don't see why not this time." She smiled at the three women at the table. Grissom reached out under the table and ran his hand up and down her thigh. She smiled as she took another bite.

Sara and Debbie volunteered to clean up while Grissom got caught up with his mother and Aunt Beth insisted on shoveling the inch of snow that fell overnight. Sara was drying a plate with Mrs. Grissom's Santa theme towel and smiled. It seemed they had a good family relationship. She really never had that, even when she was with both of her parents. Grissom never told her what happened to his father, but she knew he died a long time ago, maybe when he was still at home, she wasn't sure. Maybe she could get some information from his mom. Sara's smile quickly faded. Griss was going to be a wreck when his mom died. She seemed fine, but Sara noticed how she only at a few bites of food and looked a little bit more pale today than yesterday. Sara looked at Debbie as she scrubbed the frying pan.

"How is Grissom's, I mean Gil's, mom? Really?" Sara continued to wipe a coffee cup dry, hoping Debbie didn't notice her slip on Grissom's name. _GIL. GIL. You need to call him Gil!_

Debbie gave her a curious look then answered Sara's question.

"She's undergoing treatment, but it only prolongs the inevitable. I think she's dealing with it really well. Mom is being a trooper about it, but I know its going to be hard for her to not have her sister around. And Gilbert..." She shook her head. "I'm just glad he has you to be there for him. He won't act all emotional, but I know him."

"He holds his emotions in. He looks at the science of it to stay disconnected." Sara finished Debbie's thought. She looked at Debbie who was wearing a peculiar grin. "It's the same way he deals with difficult cases." Sara explained to her.

"Yeah, I can see how he would." Debbie wrung out the dishrag and placed it on the faucet as Sara wiped dry the last of the dishes. Debbie poured them both a cup of coffee and they joined Gil and his mom in the living room.

"I'm going to go check on Mom." Debbie announced then grabbed her coat to go outside.

Sara sat down on the floor next to the coffee table that held numerous photo albums. Gil and his mom were sitting on the loveseat, looking over old photos and signing back and forth silently. Sara watched them and smiled. She took time to study Grissom and his Mom. They had the same nose and forehead. When his mom would smile, it reminded her of Grissom. He must have gotten his eyes from his father.

"Sara." Mrs. Grissom used her voice to get Sara's attention.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking Gri-Gil, must have gotten his blue eyes from his father. Your's are brown." Sara shrugged.

"He did." She flipped through a few pages of a photo album, then turned it so Sara could see the photo. Sara got up on her knees and inspected the photo. It was a man in a suit and tie with a young boy at his side. They were standing in front of a church. That had to be Grissom! Sara pointed to the boy in the photo.

"That you?" She smiled at Grissom and he nodded in the affirmative.

"That's Gilbert's Dad." Mrs. Grissom pointed to the man in the fedora. "He had the bluest, sexiest eyes."

"Yes, he did." Sara looked up to see Grissom watching her reaction. She held his gaze for a moment. "So do you."

"WHEW! It's cold out here!" Debbie pulled her scarf tighter around her neck as she walked down the steps towards where her mom was shoveling the sidewalk. "I will never understand why you love the cold weather so much."

Beth stopped shoveling and stood up straight. She smiled as Debbie approached her. Ever since Debbie and Gilbert were children, they loved the hot summer days. Gil being raised in California found the snow a novelty. It was no wonder to her that Gilbert ended up in the Las Vegas Desert.

"I'm almost done." Beth informed Debbie, whom she knew was worried about her having a heart attack or some other foolish notion.

"I know. There's not much snow." Debbie shoved her hands into her pockets. "I wanted to talk to you about Gilbert. I think something is up with him and Sara."

"UP? What does that mean exactly?"

"Well, I heard them fighting. I'm wondering if the proposal wasn't brought on by Aunt Jane's illness. Maybe things aren't so swell in paradise."

"So, you noticed that too. I know they work together, but I have a feeling that this is all some sort of Vegas act on the road." Aunt Beth began to shovel again. Debbie chuckled at her mom's choice of wording.

"Mom, I have NO DOUBT in my mind that they have at least a physical attraction, but you might be right about the whole marriage thing. And did you notice how she calls him Grissom?"

"Yeah, she keeps correcting it. Good thing Janie can't hear it. She'd be on them in a blink of an eye." Beth finished shoveling and stood leaning her arms on the shovel. "You think we should let it be? Or should we see how serious they really are?"

"Oh, I think we can have some fun." Debbie and her mom smiled devilishly at one another and headed in to get warm.

A/N: Ok, this is kinda short, but its been days and I promised an update a while ago. Been super busy and had lots of company around, so writing took a back seat, unfortunately. So, please read and leave review. A big THANK YOU to all who have reviewed. Its so wonderful to hear from the readers and know they are enjoying this or not. And, as always, any ideas are welcome. I hope to have an update in the next day or so. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Wendy


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Sara stood in front of the full length mirror in the bedroom that she and Grissom were sharing. She ran her hands down the front of her dress, smoothing out any wrinkles. She rarely wore a dress, but she felt she should for church. She rarely stepped foot into a church. Funerals and Weddings seemed to be the reason for any recent visits, and those weren't all that recent.**

"**You look beautiful." Grissom smiled from behind her. She watched him in the mirror as he walked towards her. "You should dress up more often."**

**Sara turned and quirked up an eyebrow at him. Grissom just smiled at her. Sara let out a deep breath and sat on the edge of the quilt covered bed. Grissom did the same. He reached over and took her hand in his. Sara leaned sideways and placed her head on Grissoms shoulder. It had been an emotional day.**

"**You know, you don't have to go, Sara. Mom would understand." Sara sat up straight and smiled.**

"**I appreciate that, I really do. But I think it would be best if I went. I don't mind, Griss."**

"**Ok. We leave in 10 minutes. I'll, uh, leave you alone to finish up or whatever you need. And meet you downstairs." He squeezed her hand. "OK?"**

"**Yeah, Ok. I'll be down in 5." Grissom stood and exited the room. Sara listened as his footsteps retreated down the wooden stairway.**

**The day started off well enough, but it soon went downhill. She shouldn't have let her nerves get the best of her. Sure his name is Gilbert or Gil. But she called him Grissom or Griss. What was the big deal? Why did she make it such a big deal in her mind? Her constant slipping and correcting caused Jane, Beth and Debbie to question her. Did they question their relationship as well? She had a feeling that they were close to figuring out the truth, but then again, after last night and this afternoon, what was the truth? Sara sat back and closed her eyes.**

Earlier that afternoon

Beth and Debbie had come in from shoveling snow to find Gil and Sara staring at one another, Jane with a huge smile on her face. Debbie hung up their coats while Beth took her usual seat in her recliner. Debbie kicked off her boots and sat on the floor next to Jane.

"Is this the first time you've seen a picture of Gil's dad?" Debbie ran a finger over her Uncle's picture.

"Um, yeah. Griss doesn't have any out in his condo." Sara explained and smiled at the women.

"Wait!" Jan spoke loudly while signing. "I gave you that photo of you and your dad in the greenhouse. You told me you put it up in your office months ago!"

Sara's eyes grew wide and she looked at Gil, who sat doing his best impersonation of a statue. Debbie got a weird grin on her face and then smiled.

"Aunt Jane. I remember Gil telling me how he broke the glass and was going to have it re-framed. He, uh, didn't want to tell you about it. But apparently he has a not so gentle UPS person in his area."

"Right!" Grissom chimed in. He looked at his mother's hurt expression and took her hand into his, looking right at her so she could read his lips. "I love that picture. I promise it will be in my office at home when I get back. I'm sorry."

"Did you at least file a complaint?" His mother was a bit upset.

"I did. But I'm not sure what happened to that driver. I don't get many deliveries."

Gil sat back, a smile on his face. _Dodged that bullet._

"That still doesn't explain why Sara has never seen it." Aunt Beth commented. _SHIT!_

"Oh, uh. Well......." Gil looked to Sara. "I never got to put it up and its just sitting on my desk."

"Plus, he's fussy about his office. I don't really go in there. Was he that picky as a child?" Sara looked at Debbie who took her official change of subject and ran with it. She nodded her head in affirmation.

"He had all these jars with bugs in them, all lined up on shelves in his room. Each one had the Latin name written on a piece of tape on the side. If one was out of place, he knew. And he knew which one! I learned early that messing with Gilbert Grissom was NOT a good idea." Debbie chuckled and Gil just shot her a look of agitation.

"He still does that!" Sara laughed. "He has shelf upon shelf in his office at work with specimens and terrariums and god only knows what else." The two women laughed.

"Well, if everyone is done making fun of me," Gil stood up and looked around the room, "I'm going to go downstairs and see if I can find that box mom asked me to get earlier."

"Ok, Gilbert." His mother smiled at him and blew him a kiss. "We promise not to talk about you while your gone." He smiled at his mother and turned to leave. As he walked down the stairs he heard Debbie say "not too much anyway" and all the women stifling their laughter.

"_GREAT! This is it!" _Sara thought._ "They are about to grill me for information and I am going to slip up and say something to give it away that we aren't a real couple."_

"So, Sara." Mrs. Grissom patted the spot that Grissom had vacated. "Sit here."

Sara got up and sat next to Jane on the love seat. She folded her hands in her lap, not knowing what to do with them. Debbie shot her a grin. Sara looked over to Aunt Beth, who was finding it difficult to stay awake. Debbie turned to follow Sara's gaze. "All that shoveling." She explained. They all suddenly laughed when Beth woke herself up with a loud snort.

"So, Sara. I thought you moved in with Gil......or is it Griss?" she smiled.

"Oh, uh....." Sara let out a nervous laugh and began to run her hand through her hair nervously.

"It's ok. I'm teasing you." Mrs. Grissom smiled at her and patted her leg.

"Oh. Ok." Sara still had a bad feeling.

"Does everyone at work call him Grissom?" Debbie asked.

"Yes." Sara smiled. "They do. And, and they don't really know about us, so I'm just used to calling him Grissom. I shortened it to Griss a long time ago."

"Ah, so the GIL was for our benefit?" Debbie asked.

"Yeah." Sara let out a deep breath as she spoke.

"Call him whatever you wish, Dear. Don't change for our benefit." Mrs. Grissom reassured her. "Besides, I don't think he likes his name."

"Of course I like my name!" Gil stood in the doorway. None of the women had heard him approached, so all eyes turned to him in surprise. "It was my Grandfather's name."

Grissom put down the box on the floor next to his mom and Debbie. He went around to the other side and sat on the arm of the sofa next to Sara. He put his arm around her shoulders and smiled at her when she looked up. "Why are we discussing my name?"

"Well, we noticed that Sara keeps trying a little to hard to call you GIL. Apparently she's used to calling you GRISSOM?" Debbie was enjoying this.

"Oh, uh......" Gil looked at Sara. "While I do love it when she calls me Gil..." Sara's eyes grew wide in shock "She usually calls me Grissom or Griss."

"I'm just sorry that you thought we would care that much. We apologize." Mrs. Grissom was saying when Aunt Beth let out a loud snore/snort sound and opened her eyes.

"What are we apologizing for?" Everyone laughed and Aunt Beth just closed her eyes and fell back into a deep sleep.

**Sara shook herself out of her reverie and got up to stare at her reflection in the mirror once again. She was still surprised at Grissom's comment over his name preferences. It really was natural to call him Grissom, but when they were alone and he was slowly driving her insane with his lips and hands, it was his given name that flowed from her lips so easily.**

After Dinner

"Aunt Beth, your culinary skills never leave me dissastisfied." Gil smiled at his Aunt.

"Can't you just say 'You're a great cook?' instead of using all that gobbledygook?" Grissom got up and stood behind his Aunt and leaned down to place a kiss on her cheek. She was a gruff woman, but she meant well.

"Great dinner, Aunt Beth. You are a great cook."

"Thank you." She reached up and pulled him down into an awkward embrace. Gil stood up and clapped his hands together.

"So, I think I am going to catch up on some sleep before Mass tonight." He walked around the table and towards the stairway, placing his hand on Sara's shoulder as he passed. "Sara?" He stood waiting for her.

"Oh!" Sara was surprised he had expected her to join him. "Excuse me. I guess he needs to be tucked in."

Grissom followed Sara up the stairs and into the room they were sharing. He shut the door and quickly made his way towards Sara. She turned and came face to face with him.

"What are you doing?" Sara sounded annoyed. He raised an eyebrow at her and shrugged.

"I'm not doing anything." He put his hands in his pockets.

"Well, are we napping or what? You're the one who wanted to come up here." Sara crossed her arms over her chest, challenging him.

Grissom just smiled and pulled his hands out of his pockets. He slowly began to unbutton the shirt he was wearing. Sara stood mesmerized, trying to hide her reactions to his blatant display. He shrugged the shirt off, exposing the t-shirt he wore underneath. He chuckled and kicked off his shoes. Sara cocked her head to the side and smiled at him in amusement. Grissom suddenly found himself braver and began to slowly unbutton each button on the fly of his jeans. He smiled as Sara kept switching weight from one foot to the other. He slid the denim down his legs and kicked them off to join his shoes somewhere to his right.

Sara swallowed hard. What had gotten into Gil Grissom? He was standing there in his boxer briefs and t-shirt. Did he expect her to strip down too? Sara just grinned at him and rounded the bed to go lay down on the opposite side from Grissom. She smiled as she fluffed up the pillow and lay down fully clothed on top of the covers.

"Are you changing or taking a nap?" She closed here eyes. She felt the mattress dip with his weight and decided against sneaking a glance in his direction. He was quiet, not moving. Maybe he was sleeping. She opened her eyes and turned her head slightly. She jumped back a little when she realized how close he was to her. His lips were inching closer to hers.

"I'd like to take a nap. But first." He trailed a hand along her abdomen, causing her to hold her breath. "I think a kiss before sleep is called for." He grinned down at her and moved so he was barely touching her lips.

Sara couldn't take it anymore. She let out her breath and leaned up to seal their lips in a fiery kiss. She moved her hands to his face, neck, hair while he plundered her mouth with his tongue. The hand that had been caressing her abdomen now moved upwards, slowly inching her top up to the edge of her bra. Sara gasped when he slid his hand underneath the lace. This was what she wanted. This was what she craved. She decided to take advantage of the situation and thoroughly enjoy every minute that Gil Grissom's skin and lips and tongue were in contact with her flesh.

Sara moaned when he pulled away and lay down next to her on the bed. She huffed and slapped her arms down flat against the mattress.

"What the hell, Gil?" She was trying to keep her cool.

"I, uh........" He turned to look at her. "I'm sorry. I intended to just make them think we were up here.......you know. But I just had to kiss you. That's all."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure they think we are 'you know' right now."

"Yeah." Grissom agreed as he let out a deep sigh.

"Sooooo........why aren't we? Did I do something wrong?" Sara was fighting her emotions, begging her body to cooperate with her.

"You could never do anything wrong." Grissom smiled at her. "Let's just take a nap, Sara. We can talk about this later. I'm just tired."

"Ok." Sara closed her eyes. "But don't forget to wake me in an hour."

"You called me Gil."

**So, here she stood, staring at her reflection in the mirror several hours later, thinking back on the day. She heard Grissom discussing who would drive whom to the church. She smiled and headed down the stairs to Grissom and his family. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, Grissom stared at her for a moment then pulled her in for a quick kiss. He never ceased to amaze her. **

"**What was that for?" She felt awkward kissing in front of his family.**

"**Well, we are standing under the mistletoe." He informed her and pointed up at the leafy twig hanging from the ceiling.**

"**Ah." She smiled then leaned in to whisper in his ear. "We need to get some more."**

"**Well, lets go then, huh?" Grissom was embarrassed when he looked at his mom and saw her big grin. "Sara, Mom, you can ride with me." **

**Grissom followed his mother and Sara out the door, missing the high five that was exchanged between his Aunt and Cousin.**

A/N: well, one day, I guess technically two days, later than promised. But here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy! Please leave a review. Wendy


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Grissom was having a difficult time sleeping. They had gotten home well past midnight from Mass. His mother was so happy to have him there with her in the pew. It had been years since he had shared a worship service with his mother. He usually worked . Sara seemed to actually be comfortable in church. She continued to impress him. It was so surreal seeing his mother sitting next to Sara in the pew, singing Christmas songs. Grissom smiled and turned his head to face Sara. She was sleeping, her arms hugging her pillow. Oh, how he wished he were that pillow! Grissom inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. He let out his breath with a slight groan.

"Hey, you ok?" Sara's eyes were now open and she lifted her head to see him more clearly.

"Yeah. Just can't sleep." He turned onto his side, propping his head up on his hand. "Lot of things on my mind."

"Yeah." Sara moved to sit with her back resting on the headboard, rubbing her eyes. "And I'm not helping any."

"You being here with me is more help than you know, Sara." Grissom lay back flat against the pillow and let out a deep breath. "She's so happy, you know? Despite her illness."

Sara turned towards Grissom. "I'm glad I could make her happy. This is the first time in a long time that I've felt like I'm part of a family."

Grissom flinched a little in surprise when Sara's hand touched the side of his face. He turned towards her, giving her better access to run her fingers through his hair.

"I'm so sorry about your mom, Griss. She really does put up a good front, though." She smiled at him. "You are so much like her."

"I am huh?" Grissom reached up and pulled Sara down to him, kissing her. Sara moved so she was lying next to him, her face just above his. She continued to stroke his hair while she assaulted his lips. Grissom groaned when she sucked his tongue into her mouth. He loved kissing Sara. The taste of her, the feel of her tongue in his mouth, the way she moaned when it was getting more and more intense and passionate. They pulled away slightly, needing air.

"Gil." Sara smiled and rested her forehead against his. "What are we doing?"

"Well, I thought we were kissing." He grinned.

"Hmmm. Yeah, but ummm......we don't usually do that." Sara stared at him waiting for an answer.

"Can we just, I don't know. Go with the flow?" Grissom ran his hand up and down her side and rested it on her hip, making it hard for Sara to think clearly.

"That was so un-Grissom-like. Are you feeling ok?" She had a genuine look of concern on her face, which made Grissom laugh. "What's so funny?"

"I feel fine, Sara. More than fine, actually. Away from Vegas and the heat and all the responsibility makes being, as you said, 'un-Grissom-like' very easy." He pulled her closer into his embrace. "Why can't it be this easy in Vegas?"

"If I knew, we'd be doing it." Sara snuggled up to his side and soon they both drifted off to sleep.

Sara woke first. She could hear Grissom's female relatives talking and rustling around in the kitchen below. She smiled and inhaled the smell of fresh brewed coffee and bacon? Well, the coffee smelled wonderful. Grissom would love the fact that there was bacon again. She was used to the guys ordering it whenever they went out for breakfast at the diner. But she enjoyed soy bacon just as well, even though Nick declared it "unfit for human consumption."

"Hey. Morning." Grissom rubbed his eyes and threw off the covers. "Be right back." He got up and padded off towards the bathroom. Sara smiled at his back and forced herself out of bed. She was pawing through her suitcase when she felt warm arms wrap around her. She jumped a little then laughed and leaned her head back next to Grissoms.

"You smell minty."

"MmmmHmm. And you can too."

"Grissom!" Sara pulled herself out of his arms and stood with hands on her hips. "Are you insinuating, that I, Sara Sidle, have morning breath?" She smiled wickedly at him.

"Well, I don't know. But what I meant was....." He grabbed for her and pulled her in for an open mouthed and sloppy kiss. He pulled back and smiled at her. "Minty?"

"Hmmmm. Good Save." Sara strolled over to the dresser and fished her toothbrush and paste out of the small case she had placed there. "Be right back."

Grissom stayed rooted to his spot until he heard her turn on the water in the bathroom. He quickly smoothed out the quilt on the bed and then pulled out his suitcase and unzipped a small compartment in the front. He pulled out a wrapped package and sat on the edge of the bed nearest to the door. He put the package on the bed behind him where Sara wouldn't be able to see as she entered the room. Grissom folded his hands in his lap when he heard the squeak of the faucet.

Sara hurried through her tasks, brushing her teeth in record time, but with plenty of minty paste. She ran her fingers through her hair and splashed water on her face. She looked at her reflection and took a few deep breaths. It was a day for wishing, and she wished she could have one very sexy Entomologist for Christmas. She smiled at the thought and turned to the door and made her way back to the room that she and Gil were sharing.

Sara stopped in her tracks when she entered the room. Grissom sat on the side of the bed in his red pajamas. She had ignored the urge to make fun of him last night. But here he was on Christmas in his red pajamas. All he needed was to whiten in his beard and hair and she could have her own personal Santa. He was sitting with his hands folded in his lap. How odd! Sara walked over to the dresser and placed her toothbrush back in the case. She looked at Grissom through the reflection in the mirror in front of her. He smiled at her as he met her gaze. He patted the spot beside him on the bed.

"Come sit with me for a minute." He put one hand behind his back and moved the gift around to his side so Sara wouldn't see. She sat next to him on the bed crosslegged. Grissom turned a little towards her.

"What did you have in mind, Dr. Grissom?"

"Oh, uh....." Grissom smiled at her. "I have a present."

"Yeah? You want me to, uh, unwrap it for you?" Sara waggled her eyebrows at him.

"Sara........" Grissom pulled out the gift and held it out in front of her. "I actually have a gift."

"Oh!" Sara tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Sorry."

"No reason to apologize." Grissom winked at her. "Open it."

Sara turned the package over in her hands, inspecting it. It felt like a book. Typical Grissom. "I don't have anything for you."

"You being here, is the best gift I could imagine." He almost whispered as he spoke. Coming from Gil Grissom, Sara knew those words were full of meaning. She leaned over and placed a tender kiss on his lips. She stroked his beard and smiled at him. "Open it."

"Fine." Sara sat back and tore open the package. She smiled to herself for having guessed correctly. It was a book. Sara turned it over and read the cover. Her mouth gaped open and she stared at Grissom. "You had them bound?"

"Yeah. I mean, we made a little history together that night, and several other nights." He smiled sheepishly. "It only made sense that you have the original reports bound together."

"Thanks." Sara couldn't hide the smile on her face. Sure, it was a book, but it was the most thoughtful gift she had ever received. Sara swiped at a tear that formed. "You know. I'm a vegetarian because of this."

"Yeah, I know." He turned and pulled his leg up on the bed so he could sit facing her. "You like to remind me every now and again."

"Lets not get into that today. It's Christmas."

Debbie sat at the kitchen table watching her mother and Aunt cook breakfast. She tried to keep happy thoughts today, but she knew in her heart that this would be the last Christmas they were all together. She heard some footsteps from above and smiled. She was so glad that Gil brought Sara here for the Holidays. She hadn't seen such huge smiles on her Aunt's face in quite some time. She just hoped all was as they said it was with their relationship.

"Hey! You think those two are up?" Ruth asked as she pointed towards the ceiling with her spatula.

"Oh. Yeah, I heard some noises up there. I think they are awake." She got up from her spot. "But I'll go check to be sure."

Debbie walked as quietly as possible up the stairs. Gil and Sara were a mystery to her. Sometimes they seemed so in tune with one another and truly in love, but other times, they acted like strangers. She stopped at the top of the stairs when she heard Sara say "Lets not get into that today. It's Christmas." Were they fighting? Hmmm.

"HEY! Glad to see you're up. Mom is almost finished with breakfast. Coffee's on." Debbie leaned against the doorframe and smiled at the couple sitting facing one another on the bed. Sara wiped her eyes and got up and went to the closet. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine. I was just giving Sara her Christmas present from me." He pointed to the bound articles and reports were it lay on the bed.

"Oh." Debbie walked over and picked it up. "You got her a book?" She shook her head and rolled her eyes at Gil.

"Well, its not just a book. It's several articles and reports that we" Grissom was cut off by the voice of his Aunt hollering for "You Kids" to hurry up because breakfast would be ready in 10 mintues.

"Well, we better go. Can't have cranky moms on Christmas." Debbie commented.

"Yeah, we'll be down shortly. Just have to hop in the shower and get dressed." Gil explained to her.

"You know........it would go quicker if you just showered together." She snickered and left them gawking after her open-mouthed.

"Are they coming down to breakfast?" Jane asked Debbie as she entered the kitchen.

"Yeah. They just have to get dressed." Debbie frowned a little as she poured a cup of coffee.

"What's wrong?" Ruth looked at Debbie with concern.

"Well, I think they were fighting or something. Sara was crying." Debbie sipped her coffee. "He said it was because he gave her a Christmas gift."

"Well, that makes sense. Did you see what it was?" Ruth waited in anticipation to hear what would elicit such an emotion.

"Yeah. That's why I don't believe that it was the reason for the tears. Well, unless they were tears of disappointment."

"What was it?" Jane wondered what her son had done this time. "Not a bug specimen, I hope."

"No. But it was some book. About experiments." Debbie rolled her eyes.

"Oh, no." Both older women replied and shook their heads in disbelief.

"I need to have a talk with my son." Jane turned off the burner and dumped the scrambled eggs onto a platter.

"Yeah, poor Sara. Being with a guy who love science so much. And not just science. BUGS!" Ruth shook her head. "At least your man was into plants! You got flowers all year round." Ruth pointed to her sister and smiled.

"Well, maybe I should remind him of that." Jane smiled fondly at the memory of the last Christmas she had spent with her husband. Gilbert had been so young. She got tears in her eyes thinking of all the Christmases she had wrapped up gifts for her husband, even after he was gone. It was so hard to let go.

"Hey!" Gil smiled as he entered the kitchen. "What's going on?" Concern evident in his voice.

"Just going over memories." His mother explained.

"Oh." Gil poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter. "Sara will be down in a few minutes. She's getting dressed."

"Is she wearing the new, beautiful dress or piece of jewelry you got her?"

"What?" Gil was confused.

"Yeah, exactly." Ruth poked her finger at him.

"I'm confused. Did I do something wrong?"

"You got her a book?" Debbie shot him and incredulous glare.

"Sara loved the gift!" He stood there under the scrutiny of the three women. "Really! She even cried." He smiled in triumph.

"Yeah. I'd cry too if I got a book for Christmas." Ruth huffed out and carried some plates to the dining room.

"She really did like it. See we are scientists...."

"Gil! Women don't want books from their Fiancé for Christmas. They want romance." His mother explained. "You're dad always got me flowers, no matter the time of year." She smiled.

"Mom. Dad was a botanist. He had a greenhouse full of plants. I'm a scientist. I'm not going to give Sara bugs, but.........."

"You better not give me bugs!" Sara declared from the hallway as she approached the kitchen. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. Just getting the third degree for giving you a book." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, lets eat! The food's getting cold." Jane picked up a plate of toast and headed into the dining room behind Debbie.

"Gil, grab the coffee pot. Sara, get the platter of bacon over there." Ruth shot out orders and scurried off to the dining room.

"I'll get the coffee." Sara told Grissom. He chuckled and picked up the platter of bacon, popping a small piece of bacon into his mouth.

"Don't think you're getting any action after that." Sara chuckled as they sat down at the table.

Three pairs of eyes stared at them. They had this look of concern on their face that made Sara want to giggle. Gil just squinted his eyes at them.

"Let's just eat. Shall we?" He motioned towards the table.

They ate breakfast in silence for a while but soon conversation about Mass the night before and the snowfall and gifts overwhelmed the room. Gil was eating his bacon, watching his mother. Sara could practically see the gears in his mind working slid her had over to Gil's thigh and turned her palm upward. Grissom smiled slightly and laced his fingers with hers. This would most likely be the last time they were all together for Christmas. Sara could see the same look on Debbie's face as she talked with her mother and Aunt. She shot Gil a look and they shared a knowing smile. Sara once again found herself wiping tears from her eyes.

"Ok, let's clear this away and gather in the living room." Ruth instructed. "It's time for presents!"

A/N: Sorry I took so long with an update. It was hard to get into the mood to write for a while there, with Grissom leaving and all. But now that we have a good ending, I can find inspiration for fluff and fun! Hehehe. So, please leave a review. I am so appreciative for all who are reading this and leaving reviews. They mean so much to me. If you write, you know what I mean! So, say anything, let me know you are still reading and want me to continue. Thanks! Wendy.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Gilbert, you get to be Santa!" Aunt Beth called as she made her way into the living room.

"Grissom." Sara pulled on his sleeve, ushering him off to the side. "Do you have gifts?"

Gil smiled at her. "Of course! I had them in my suitcase. I put them under the tree yesterday."

"Oh, good. Good." Sara chewed on her bottom lip nervously.

"What's wrong, Sara?"

"Well, what if they got me something? I don't have any gifts."

"Sara, the gifts I brought are from US. Okay?" He pulled her in for a quick hug.

"Ok. We better go in there before they send out a search party." Sara led the way into the living room. They took there usual spot next to one another on the love seat. Sara smiled and glanced around the room.

Mrs. Grissom sat in her chair, a huge smile plastered on her face. Aunt Beth donned a Santa hat and was passing another one to Gil. Sara chuckled as he carefully placed it on his head. Debbie sat silently, taking pictures of the group.

"Ok, ok." Gil got up and moved to sit on the floor next to the tree. "Urgh. I am definitely getting too old for this."

"Quit complaining. You aren't that old." Debbie laughed at him. "Start passing out the gifts!"

Grissom passed a gift to each of the women seated around the room, including Sara. He pulled a box with his name on it towards him, grinning like a boy.

"Ok, Gilbert. Go ahead and open your gift." His mom gave him permission. He grinned at her and ripped open the puffy package.

"This better not be a sweater. They don't come in too handy in Vegas." Grissom teased his cousin Debbie. She had given him a sweater his first year in Vegas, not considering the climate.

Grissom opened the gift to reveal a t-shirt covered with lizards, mating in different, if not somewhat obscene positions. Grissom frowned and then looked at each of the women in the room, trying to discern which had given him the somewhat offensive gift. All of a sudden the trio burst out in laughter. Grissom gave them his typical "I'm not amused look" that Sara immediately recognized as the one he gave to Greg all too often.

"Thanks." He threw the shirt aside and folded his arms across his chest.

"Don't be such a spoilsport. It was just a joke, Gilbert." Aunt Beth pulled a box from behind her back and handed it to Gil. "This is your real gift. You're too easy a target, Gilbert, my boy! We can't help ourselves."

Sara laughed along with the other women, giving Grissom cause to utter "Et Tu, Sara?" which made her laugh even harder. He opened the box. He smiled as he pulled out a sheet of paper. He read it in concentration. His eyes peeking up at his mother and Aunt and Cousin intermittently. Sara wondered what could be so intriguing.

"What is it, Griss?" Grissom handed her the sheet of paper. It was an itinerary for a trip for two on a cruise to Alaska.

"Is this for us?" Sara stated in bewilderment.

"We all were so thrilled about your engagement, so we pitched in to get this for you as a wedding present." Debbie explained to Sara and Gilbert.

"Thank you." Sara stated simply, tears forming in her eyes. She passed the paper back to Grissom. He was up and hugged each of his female relatives, Sara took his cue and did the same. She wiped at her tears, never letting on the disappointment she was feeling. She and Gil would never be able to take that trip, even if they wanted to do so. Taking time off together for a week would be nearly impossible.

Sara wiped at her eyes and tried to be upbeat while Debbie opened a gift that was labeled as being from "Gil and Sara". It was a lovely silver frame with a picture of Debbie and Gil when they were kids. Sara inspected the photo as it was passed around the room.

"You must have picked out the frame, Sara. I know Gilbert doesn't have any sense of style." She smirked at him.

Sara gave a smile and shrugged her shoulders, letting Debbie conclude what she wanted from the gesture.

"Ok, my turn!" Aunt Beth declared. Her eyes sparkled as she ripped open the red and green striped paper that covered a shoe box size gift. She lifted the lid and smiled at her sister. "So, that is what you've been doing over at Genevieve's!"

"Yes!" Jane smiled at her sister.

"What its it?" Gil was confused. His Aunt held up a hand knitted hat and mittens made out of a pale blue wool with traces of silver running throughout.

"Genevieve had a set just like this that she had knit. I teased her that I was going to steal them when she wasn't looking." Beth's eyes got a bit misty as she tried them on. "Guess I won't have to now." She held up her hands. "They fit perfectly. Thank you."

Sara was overwhelmed with emotions. She never had a "normal" Christmas and this was so much like a Hallmark Movie she didn't know how to react except to watch it all unfold. She understood the weight of importance involved in a sister giving another an item made with their own two hands. She watched as each of the women opened gifts from one another and chuckled when Gil got a package of underwear from his mother. "We always get underwear" he explained to her in embarrassment.

"Sara. This is for you." Gil smiled at her and handed her a rather large box.

"Me? "

"Well, its for both of us, but why don't you open it." Gil winked at her. She shot him that half smile he loved so much.

"We already got a gift." Sara protested.

"Just open it up." Aunt Beth instructed. "Its from all of us."

Sara opened the box and shook her head. Inside, neatly folded was a quilt. She slowly took it out of the box and ran her hand lightly over several squares.

"That was my mothers." Jane informed her. Sara's head whipped up suddenly, catching Grissom's gaze. His mouth was hanging open, apparently having no idea that his mother was going to give her such a sentimental gift.

"I, uh.......we can't take this. It's too special." She told Jane with tears in her eyes.

"Sara. You are part of the family now. I know this will be my last Christmas." She looked around the room at the somber faces of her relatives. "I want you and Gilbert to have this. Use it on your bed. My mother used it and so did Gilbert's dad and I. It's for you now. It's brought a lot of love and endured with us through a lot of pain."

"Thank you." Sara wiped her eyes and got up to hug Jane. "I don't think I have ever gotten so many great gifts all at once."

"No?" Debbie looked over to Gil. "Books are NOT romantic."

"No, I liked the book." Sara smiled at Gil and held his gaze for a moment.

"Well, clearly you two are meant for one another." Debbie chuckled.

Grissom got up and sat down next to Sara, taking her hand in his and wiped the tears form her eyes with his other hand. He leaned in and kissed her. Sara gasped and pulled back a little in shock. Gil just chuckled and kissed her again.

"Told you she liked it." Jane told the other two women. They all chuckled as Sara pulled away from Gil in slight embarrassment.

"Ok. Just one gift left. Open your gift, mom." Grissom instructed his mother. "That is from me and Sara." He winked at Sara. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Gil picked it out himself." She told his mother. "I have no idea what it is, so I apologize if its not what you want."

"HEY!" Gil protested. Sara just laughed along with the other women at the look on his face.

Jane tore into the wrapping paper and opened up the small box. She gasped as she pulled out a long narrow jewel box. "Oh, Gilbert! You didn't!" She smiled and cracked open the black velvet case. She lovingly ran a finger over the diamond bracelet that lay inside the silk cushion. She wiped a tear from her eye.

"Wow! You actually remembered!" Aunt Beth declared as Gil got up and went over to hug his mother. He helped to carefully fasten the bracelet around her slender wrist. He smiled with pride as his mother beamed, holding up her arm for all the women to examine.

"Gil's dad promised me that for our 50th anniversary, he would get me a diamond bracelet. This year would have been our 50th year." Jane wiped tears from her eyes.

"So, did you pick that up at Cook Jewelers too?" Sara smiled at Grissom.

"Cooks?" Debbie looked at Gilbert in confusion. "What made you bring up that place to Sara?"

"Well, that's where my engagement ring was from." Sara explained to Debbie and the elder women in the group.

Grissom swallowed hard and took her left hand in his and rubbed his thumb over the ring. A gesture to which she was slowly becoming addicted. "What?" Sara asked him.

"Well, He couldn't have gotten his mom that bracelet at Cooks, unless he bought it 7 years ago." Aunt Beth gruffly explained.

"I'm sorry. I'm confused. Why SEVEN years ago?" Sara looked at Grissom, who was intently staring at her hand. She looked to Aunt Beth and then Debbie, her gaze landing on Gil's mother.

Jane smiled sweetly at Sara, blowing her mind with a simple sentence.

"That's when the store went out of business."

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. I want to do this story justice and not just rush into new chapters like I have in the past. So, please leave a review! Let me know what you think! Wendy


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The one thing about Vegas that Sara loved was the fact there was never any snow. Sure it was pretty to look at and at Christmas it gave you that _It's A Wonderful Life _feeling, but it was wet, cold and messy. Those were qualities she always hated dealing with while in college. So, as she trudged along the road, trying to blow off some steam, she decided to wander into the field and do what she had never done, despite all the negative aspects. Sara stomped her way to an open area and stood with her legs shoulder width apart. She smiled and looked up at the cascade of snowflakes descending upon her and flopped straight back onto the ground. She laughed and then groaned when she realized the snow wasn't as soft as she had anticipated. She slowly moved her arms and legs, like she was doing jumping jacks. Making a snow angel was definitely a good way to relieve stress.

Grissom had pulled on his boots and wrapped a scarf around his neck, donned an old down jacket his mother kept for him and headed out to find Sara. He grabbed an extra scarf and his mom handed him a blanket on the way out the door. The coat Sara had with her was "no match for a Michigan winter day" his mom informed him. Did she even have boots on? Grissom slowly walked down the road, following Sara's footsteps in the snow. If we had snow to track suspects down in Vegas.............Grissom thought as he trudged on. He hated the cold. He stopped when he heard laughter.

Sara lay still for a moment, just laughing and trying to catch a snowflake in her mouth. She felt like a kid. As she finally stood up and turned to see her handiwork, she spotted Grissom walking towards her.

"Wow, that's a really nice snow angel." He stood beside her staring at the impression she made in the ground.

"Thanks." Sara shivered. "I'm still mad at you."

"Mom made me bring this for you. Your coats not that warm." He wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, then gently placed the scarf around her neck. He let his hands rest on the ends of the scarf. He just stared at her, trying to read her expression.

"So, you had that ring back then." It was a statement not a question.

"Let's go back and warm up, then we can talk. Plus, I think we have some explaining to do."

"What? That you're a liar? Not only to them, but to me? I have nothing to explain Grissom!"

"I have never lied to you, Sara." Grissom was at a loss for words.

"No? Then what was all that about your mom helping you pick out the ring? You made that up so I would agree to this. She probably didn't even know I was coming. This is about YOU not HER!"

"Sara..........she did help me pick it out. I just left out the part that she did it 7 years ago."

Sara let out a noise that sounded somewhat like a growl and stomped off towards the road. She was cold, wet and feeling more and more stupid by the minute. What else hadn't he told her? What other half truths did he feed her all these years?

"Sara, wait..." Grissom jogged after her, catching up with her halfway back to the house. The walked in silence the rest of the way. When they approached the house Sara stopped. Grissom looked back at her and raised his eyebrows in an unspoken question.

"I need a moment before going in. I'm still very angry at you."

"Fine. Act like a child. When you are ready, we can have an adult conversation." Grissom turned to walk up the steps when THWACK! A snowball hit him square between the shoulders. He turned to see a smiling Sara Sidle, holding another snowball in her hand.

"You wouldn't........" Grissom practically growled at her.

"Oh? I wouldn't? I AM childish, so I just might." She just stared at him as he walked back towards her. When he walked up to her he smiled in triumph. She hadn't thrown the snowball. He hated snowball fights. He had bad memories of rocks in the middle of the ones thrown by Debbie. She always won.

Sara smiled at him, and when he opened his mouth to speak, she smooshed the snow into his face. By the time he wiped the snow out of his beard, Sara was doubled over in a fit of laughter. With a quickness and force she never knew he possessed, Grissom tackled her, both of them falling into a nearby snowbank.

"HEY! Get off me!" Sara was wiggling under the weight of his body, trying to sound serious, but failing. Her laughter was getting louder and louder, soon they were both laughing.

"This is funny?" Grissom pinned her hands above her head, smiling down at her. "I guess this is kind of fun." He pressed himself closer to her.

"Yeah." Sara smiled at him and reached up to take his lips with hers. Grissom leaned into the kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. The lay there on the snowbank, making out like teenagers, never realizing they were being watched by three sets of curious eyes.

"I told you they'd work it out." Debbie declared as she moved away from the window. "You two should give them some privacy." She pointed at her mother and Aunt who were still closely watching the couple.

"How private is doing that right out front? Anyone driving by could see." Aunt Beth protested.

"They are coming in!" Jane stated loudly. She and Beth hurried to take their spots in their respective recliners. The three women sat silently trying to act oblivious to the public display.

Grissom looked curiously at the three women as he entered and stomped the snow from his boots. They all had fake grins plastered on their faces. He looked at Sara and she chuckled. Grissom took the blanket and her coat from Sara, hanging them on a line of pegs near the door. Sara kicked off her now wet athletic shoes and stood shivering.

"I'll go make some Cocoa." Aunt Beth got up and headed to the kitchen.

"That sounds good." Grissom took Sara into his arms and hugged her close, trying to warm her. "You should go put some dry socks on. I have an extra sweatshirt if you want it."

"That would be nice." Sara shrugged out of his embrace, turning to the two other women in the room. "I'll, uh, be right back."

As Sara headed up the stairs, Grissom took the opportunity to explain before he was faced with a barrage of questions from the curious women.

"We are fine. Sara just didn't realize I had bought the ring when we first met and were trying to date long distance."

"You told me she turned down your proposal." His mom was giving him that look of disappointment that he had hoped to avoid.

"I did. I'm sorry I lied to you. But Sara made it clear that she was NOT interested in me that seriously, so I made up the story to save face."

Sara stood at the top of the stairs listening to Grissom as she pulled on a pair of dry socks. Why did he think she wasn't serious about him back then? All these years she was so uncertain of what HE wanted out of their relationship. Was he making things up again? She pulled Grissom's sweatshirt on and listened as he continued to explain.

"It took us a lot of years as colleagues and friends to get the point where we could seriously think about a committed relationship. I never told Sara about the ring. I didn't want her to feel guilty."

"You should have just told me." His mom got up and hugged him. "Honesty is always best, Gilbert. You of all people should know that."

"I do mom......." He hugged her tightly, feeling more and more guilty by the moment. "That's why I think I should tell you..........."

His mom looked up at him, seeing the emotions playing across his face. "What, Son? What is it?"

"Mom..........Sara and I............we, uh, we're uh........we aren't going to.....we never really intended to.........."

"What?" The shock evident in his mom's voice. Debbie and Beth stood there hoping that the next words out of his mouth would not be what they had feared.

"We just discussed it, and we decided that we are going to leave today, spend some time alone before heading back to Vegas." Sara stated as she walked down the stairs. Grissom smiled up at her in relief.

"Oh, is that all? You had me thinking you were going to tell me you weren't going to get married." His mom was beaming from ear to ear in relief as Sara walked up to Grissom and wrapped her arms around his waist and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Grissom smiled at her and leaned in for another kiss, this one not so innocent.

"HEY! HEY! Get a freeking room!" Debbie yelled at them. Grissom grinned at her and let out a small laugh.

"I think that is the best idea I've heard in a long time." He winked at Sara.

After they cleaned up all the wrapping paper and cleaned up the kitchen, Gil and Sara went upstairs to pack. A half hour later, Sara stood next to Grissom by the front door. They took turns hugging the three teary-eyed women. Grissom took their bags out to the car, leaving Sara alone with his relatives.

"Thank you so much for letting me share the Holiday with you." Sara smiled.

"It was our pleasure. Let us know if you need any help with Wedding planning." Debbie offered as she hugged Sara once again.

As they drove off, Gil looked back as the farm house slowly disappeared in his rearview mirror. He let out a deep sigh, turning his focus back to the road. He jumped a little when he felt Sara place her hand on his thigh. He turned and saw her grinning at him.

"So, ummm, how far away is this hotel?" Sara ran her hand up and down his thigh. She moved as close as she could with her seatbelt still fastened. She placed a kiss on his cheek as she continued to run her hands over his body.

"Sara........" he breathed her name as a warning.

"Yes, Gil?" Sara's breath hot in his ear.

"I need to drive. Unless you want to end up in a ditch or wrapped around a tree, you need to stop that." He looked at her sternly.

"Fine!" Sara huffed and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms across her chest.

"We'll find the nearest hotel." He informed her.

Twenty minutes later they were carrying their suitcases into a small room at the Pineview Motel. Sara scanned the room. It appeared to be clean, but she couldn't be sure without the ALS.

"Sara........." Grissom whispered in her ear from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Don't think about the ALS."

Sara chuckled and turned in his arms. He knew her so well. They stood there wrapped in each others arms, staring into the other's eyes. Grissom placed chaste kisses on Sara's nose, her forehead, each of her cheeks, finally settling his lips over hers lightly. Sara leaned into him and pulled his head in closer and proceeded to devour his mouth. When she plunged her tongue into Gil's mouth, he didn't protest. Gil opened up to her warmth and moaned as she pressed herself intimately against him. His mind was reeling. Emotions were overloading. They were really going to do this. He pulled back slightly.

"Stop thinking so much." Sara stated as she pulled her shirt off over her head.

"I'm not. I'm not thinking much at all." Gil confessed as he kicked off his shoes and untucked his shirt. "Except how beautiful you are and how I can't believe this is real."

Sara wiped a stray tear from her eye and pulled him close once again, kissing him over and over and over again. She walked backwards and stopped when her legs hit the back of the bed. She sat down on the edge and kicked off her shoes. She scooted back farther onto the mattress, never letting her gaze leave Grissom's. "Make love to me, Gil."

Sara woke up several hours later, sore in all the right places. Grissom slept soundly, a slight smile on his face. Sara smiled to herself and placed her head on Gil's chest, hugging him close. Their passion was everything she had imagined and more. Hearing him call out her name in ecstasy had thrown her over the edge and even now, it made her shiver to think of how her name sounded on his lips.

"Hey." Grissom hugged her close. "Penny for your thoughts."

Sara laughed. "You might not want to know. My thoughts are a bit naughty right now."

"Yeah? Now you have to tell me!" He insisted.

"I was just thinking of how I loved it when you screamed out my name." She giggled. She let out an honest to goodness giggle. Grissom's chest vibrated as he let out a moan of embarrassment.

"Don't you think scream is a bit of an exaggeration?"

"No. And I don't care. I think I did a little screaming of my own." She placed a kiss on his chest. "Sleep, Gil. We have to get up early."

"Yes, Dear." Sara smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

They woke at 6am when the alarm went off and headed off to the airport. They arrived in Vegas that evening. Grissom was scheduled to be in that night, but Sara had one more day off. Grissom drove Sara home and helped carry her luggage into her apartment. He carried it into her bedroom, depositing the suitcase on a chair in the corner. He looked around the room.

"You, uh, want to catch a little sleep before going in to work? Its 7:15. You have a little time." Sara looked from him to her bed.

"Well, sleep would be nice. So, I better go." Grissom quickly made his way to her front door.

"So, that's it then?" Sara stated sadly.

"What's it?" Grissom looked into her eyes, trying to read what was going on in her mind.

"Us. Back in Vegas. Vacation is over." Grissom stepped closer to Sara, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"No, Sara. It's not over. I really need sleep, and if I stay here........." He gently placed a stray hair behind her ear and smiled. "I won't be getting any sleep."

"So, we're ok?" She grinned at him. He answered her with his kiss, breaking away from her before he wouldn't have the strength to leave.

"We are more than ok. But I think we should keep this quiet for now. No one really needs to know."

"I agree. I don't want you to lose your job over this." She leaned in and kissed him again. "See you after shift?"

Grissom smiled and opened the door to leave. "Always, Sara."

THE END

A/N: This was a long journey with this story. Thanks for all who have been reading. I felt it was time to end this story and I will be posting a sequel soon! So, do not despair! Well, its been a long two weeks. My Grandfather was sick and ended up losing his fight and died on Wednesday. So, I haven't had much time to write. But I hope this doesn't disappoint. I'm no good at the smut, so, you will have to use your imagination. LOL. Please leave a review! And any ideas for the sequel are always welcome. I plan to involve the Alaskan cruise in it. THANKS! Wendy


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